


Favour for a Favour

by tarantinoslays



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gryffindor, Gryffindor Common Room, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Hogwarts Era, Romance, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:48:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27840250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tarantinoslays/pseuds/tarantinoslays
Summary: When Hermione Granger and Harry Potter decide to steal a book from the Slytherin common room, they end up witness of something that they maybe shouldn't have seen.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	Favour for a Favour

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I'm writing for such a big fandom as Harry Potter and I'm scared. Feedback is greatly appreciated!

To Hermione Granger, knowledge was a virtue, a most noble at that. The brightest witch of our time, the words brought her pride (even more so than she was ready to admit), and yet the true pleasure didn’t lie in praise, but in the act of learning itself. Hermione put great effort in her studies and when something, anything, would prevent her from completing her work — that could easily drive her up the wall. 

With quick, rushed steps and an incredibly alarming scowl on her face, the girl walked into the Great Hall, making her way to the Gryffindor table. Her eyes searched for her usual place, spotting a head of red hair, indicating the presence of the youngest Weasley boy. Of course. Ronald could work as a lighthouse in the sea of black robes and white shirts. She kept her angered pace and slammed the books she was carrying on top of the large wooden table, making both Harry and Ron jump in their seats. ‘Bloody hell!’ The ginger boy exclaimed, turning his brown eyes to look up at her. ‘Why would you do that, you freaked me out!’

“It’s not there!” She cried out, not even paying attention to Ron’s reaction, eyebrows knitting and her frown becoming even deeper. She leaned on the table, not even bothering to sit down between the two boys .’I have searched through the whole damned library and it simply isn’t there!’

“Care to explain what are you even talking about?” Harry asked, his eyes looking up at her face, trying to find a reason to justify Hermione’s distress, his previous conversation with Ron forgotten already.

“I have been looking for this book everywhere,” the girl started, her deft fingers frantically fumbling through the pages of the books she was carrying with her, until she pulled out a sheet of parchment and shoved it in Harry’s face. “It’s on top of the reading list for Potions, the exams are approaching and I still can’t find it!”

“We have a reading list?” Ron’s expression was one of absolute puzzlement as his eyes unsuccessfully tried to follow the paper the girl was still waving around in front of Harry as she was speaking.

“Why don’t you just get some other one?” Hermione’s eyes turned from Ron to Evelyn Eilheart, who was one seat away from them. The witch had her ankle thrown over her knee, one of her hands gripping the spoon that was dipped in her cup of pudding, the other one holding a few sheets of paper in front of her brown eyes. She had obviously been listening to their exchange of words, although she hadn’t even bothered to look at the trio — probably the reason why Hermione hadn’t even noticed her presence until she spoke up. “There surely are plenty of books on potions in the library.” She added, shoving a spoonful of dessert in her mouth.

Hermione’s eyes fixed on the other girl. Evelyn had never been an academic wonder, if she could put it that way, although that didn’t mean she doubted her potential. The witch was smart, no one could doubt that, and Hermione even suspected, that Eilheart had the potential to be one of the best in their year. All that of course, if she ever actually took the time and effort to study and stopped missing classes every now and then to plan Merlin knows what prank with the Weasley twins and earning herself days worth of detention.

Evelyn raised an eyebrow at her, her almond shaped eyes flickering in the light in the Hall, and Hermione could already see the hint of a tease in them. With her golden-coloured irises, her slightly upturned nose and full lips, Evelyn seemed to always have a slightly arrogant expression plastered on her face, even when she was in a perfectly good and kind mood. Not that the other girl had ever been mean or degrading to her, or to anyone at all. Even though she would always find someone to mess with, her jokes were never mean, or with the purpose of humiliating the other. It was all for good fun. Fred and George loved her for that, Hermione herself… not so much. She just found her comments and teases a bit too vexing at times. On top of that, she couldn’t help but notice they had become a tad bit more spiteful after Snape had assigned Draco Malfoy to tutor her in Potions class and she was forced to spend more time with the terrible Slytherin boy. 

“It’s the most important one,” explained Hermione, letting Ron finally take the list from her hand and give it a read. ‘I need that one at all costs.’ Her last words made the other girl Gryffindor chuckle quietly and shake her head, turning her face back to her papers. 

“If it’s at all costs,” she mumbled quietly, another laugh escaping her lips. Surprisingly, she didn’t say anything else, making it obvious that her part in the conversation was over. She was probably going to return to her quiet reading, Hermione thought, if it wasn’t for Fred Weasley, who nudged her in the ribs.

“Aren’t you supposed to be looking for that book too,” he nudged her again, making her do a swift dodge in her seat in an attempt to escape his touch, her eyes never leaving the notes in her hands. “I heard you were failing Potions. Hey Granger, can’t you be the one helping her on this? I have been seeing Malfoy so much lately and—“

His twin interrupted him, making a gaging sound of disgust, inviting himself into the conversation and and earning himself a quiet chuckle from Ron. Evelyn mumbled something under her breath that Hermione couldn’t quite catch, but it sounded suspiciously like ‘not that bad as it sounds’. Which of course wouldn’t come out of the girl’s mouth in a thousand years. 

“No, really,” Fred’s face turned more serious, the teasing edge disappearing from his voice. ‘Can’t you make Snape change his mind. Hermione is in your own house, you can tell him you two spend more time together anyway, so…”

“You think I haven’t tried? I don’t want a tutor at all!” Evelyn shook her head, her expression turning into a scowl. “Maybe you should be more aware of your obvious incompetence, Miss Eilheart,” she said in an emotionless voice, imitating Snape’s unfaltering tone. “Ten points from Gryffindor and better put your efforts in something more useful than complaining and denying your…,” she made a pause, like the professor would, “…incompetence.” She rolled her eyes, blowing a raspberry, and returned her attention back to the half-forgotten pudding in front of her.

Hermione actually felt a bit of compassion for her housemate. Of course that Snape wouldn’t let her, even when it looked like the most rational thing in the world. It looked like the other witch was stuck with Malfoy at least until she showed better results, if not until the end of the year. It is surprising, she thought, that Draco himself hasn’t yet convinced Snape to let him off the hook. 

“I just find it hard to believe that he could be of much help to you,” Fred raised his shoulders, “what can he do better, bully you into understanding things.” His eyes darted to the Slytherin table, spotting Malfoy laughing at something one of the boys next to him had said.

Evelyn put the spoon in her now empty bowl and took her notes from the table. “Pretty much what Hermione would do,” she said as she ran her hand through her hair and walked out of the Great Hall. And if she didn’t know better, Hermione would say she strutted a little as she passed their green-robed classmates.

******

For a second time that day, Hermione stomped into a room full of Gryffindors. It was going to become a habit. “I found it!” She declared as she finally made her way into the common room, waving her hands in the air in plain annoyance. 

“And then why do you look like someone burned all of your notes down?”

“I don’t have it with me, Ronald. I just found out where it is. Or more like who has it.”

“And you’re going to tell us, or we have to —” he didn’t even have then chance to finish his sentence, because the girl hissed out the name so quickly. 

“Draco Malfoy! Draco Bloody Malfoy has my bloody book. Ugh, I would have preferred to hear that it was lost, or destroyed, or didn’t even exist in the first place. This is a nightmare!” She knew she could never get her hands on this one —if Malfoy ever found out she needed it, he would probably prefer to burn it than help her out. She sat down on the couch dramatically, not even answering to whatever Ron commented. 

She was sitting silently, half-mourning herself and her grades, half-trying to figure a way to fix her situation. Way too deep in thought, she didn’t even see or hear any of the other Gryffindors walk in and out of the room. Only after the room was almost empty except for a couple of younger children by the fire, did Harry sit next to his friend to whisper quietly.

“You know we could sneak in and get it tonight, right? In the Slytherin dorm.” He asked in a hushed tone, green eyes lifting from her face to look around and make sure no one was near enough to hear his words. “After everyone is in their beds. As long as it is in the common room, we throw on the cloak, take the book and get out of there.” A half-smile bloomed on his face. “It won’t be the first time I’ll be there uninvited.” Hermione scoffed at his words, remembering the terrible events that took place in their second year. She still had nightmares about turning into half-cat. 

“He’ll know.” As much as she hated to admit it, Malfoy wasn’t a fool and he cared for his marks. Probably as much as me, she thought. And yet, with Harry’s proposal now at hand, they actually had a plan. The risk was high, for sure, but if everything went well, hmm… 

The temptation was too big and Hermione Granger could almost feel the rough paper of ‘The Alchemist’s Guide To Potions’ on her skin. She looked up at Harry, who was silently studying her face, trying to tell what was going on in the girl’s head. 

“What do we do when he starts looking for it and pointing fingers?”

That seemed to be the only answer Harry needed, and Hermione saw the mischievous smile bloom on his face. “What could we have to do with it,” he raised his shoulders, pouting innocently, but the playful gleam in his eyes didn’t disappear. “It’s not like I can turn invisible.”

*******

Ron had declined the invitation to raid the Slytherin common room, much to his friends’ surprise. If Snape catches me out of bed again, more than just the back of my neck will suffer this time. Hermione thought he was right about that. Besides, if she had to be completely honest, she was glad it was just her and Harry this time. She hadn’t worn the invisibility cloak since she was a child and she doubted that it could still cover the three of them like it used to some years ago.

This thoughts ran through her head as she made her way downstairs to the Gryffindor common room. Harry was there as promised, the flames in the fireplace throwing golden shadows on his face. He smiled when he saw her, and looked around the room one last time before he whispered. 

“Are you ready,” he asked and the air around him moved, half his body disappearing from sight as he covered it with the cloak. Hermione nodded and got closer to him, letting him throw it over her as well. She let out a relieved sigh as she was under the magical fabric, happy that everything was going according to plan. She was about to whisper to Harry that they should go, but she felt her friend tense up next to her and her heart stopped in her chest. Then she heard it. Footsteps coming from the corridor of the girls dormitory, so quiet that if Harry hadn’t reacted, she wouldn’t have even heard them. 

“In the corner, next to the fireplace,” Harry’s voice was barely audible as he gently tugged her with him in the mentioned place. She hurried to follow him and just as she felt her back press against the cold stone of the wall, she saw shadows playing in the room, and then the unmistakeable face of Evelyn Eilheart appeared in front of her. The witch looked around quickly, like a dear that heard a crack in the woods, and when she sat down on the couch, Hermione managed to take a look at her feet. A pair of large socks, made out of thick wool were put on over her feet and Hermione could see the outline of her shoe underneath them. That’s why I couldn’t hear her. She felt a smile sneak its way to her face. When it comes to creativity about stirring trouble, this one is a natural.

The girl pulled the socks down swiftly, and looked around again, putting the pair under the couch, then leaned down to make sure they were far enough underneath so nobody could find them on accident. The firelight shined on her face and the Hermione could see the look of concentration on Evelyn’s face and the way she methodically performed every action. There is no way this is happening for the first time, she must have sneaked out before. 

After making sure she didn’t leave any proof of her presence, Evelyn stood up, tapped the cushions on the couch a few times to make sure no one could tell they were sat on and sighed quietly, a proud smile forming on her lips as she looked around. Hermione couldn’t help but notice, that the girl wasn’t dressed for bed at all, wearing a dark-coloured sweater on top of her shirt and a pair of black pants. 

The pair proceeded to watch the witch silently as she put on her robes, making sure her hair was hidden underneath her hood and tiptoed her way to the doorway, opening it slowly without making any noise and slipped out of the room. Only after the door was closed behind her back did Hermione dare to look at Harry, who had the same look of confusion and suspicion on his face.

“She didn’t look like she wanted to be followed,” she wasn’t sure he was even talking to her or just thinking out loud. Harry was fiercely chewing the inside of his cheek and for a second Hermione was thinking he was going to abort the mission and go after Eilheart instead. Instead, he turned to Hermione, then nodded his head to the door. “Let’s go, we have a book to steal.”

Quarter an hour later and numerous jumps every time they heard a noise in the empty hallways of the castle, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger approached the dungeons and with that the part of Hogwarts that was meant for Slytherin house. The problem of how they were going to enter it still stood and it fuelled the witch’s anxiety. Not a sound was heard in the corridor and Hermione was starting to worry—she had hoped that they would be passed by at least one oblivious prefect that would walk into the dormitory, or a stray student that had spent a bit more time in the library than they had expected. Ron was trying to convince her for months that the only such student was herself, and he would nudge her with his elbow and a half-looped smile every time. She would scrunch her nose in return and ignore the feeling, that even though he annoyed her, she didn’t want his teasing to stop.

Her thoughts escaped her head in a second when she felt Harry’s hand stop her from taking another step. A dark clad figure was leaning on the wall and Hermione stopped dead in her tracks, feeling the heel of her shoe make a stomping sound when it met the ground. She held her breath when the figure moved, and when its head turned in their direction, the witch realised with relief that it was Evelyn. The feeling was short-lived though, and Hermione felt her eyebrows scrunch, as the thought of what would be Evelyn Eilheart doing in front of the bloody Slytherin dungeon so late at night, when a loud click was heard and the large door that lead in opened slowly. Even from this far, Hermione could see the relief in the other girl’s eyes as she turned towards the entryway, arms crossing in front of her chest and a frown appearing on her face.

Hermione could feel Harry nudge her forward and she made a few careful steps in the direction, enough to hear Evelyn hiss in an annoyed whisper. “What took you so long?!”

“You think this is easy,” she heard a hiss back and her mouth dropped when she saw Draco Malfoy’s blond head of hair appear from the darkness. The boy had his usual grimace of annoyance on his face when he waved his hand in the direction of the common room. “I almost had to force those first-years in their beds and lock them in the room!” He ran a hand through his hair and turned to the girl, a small smile fighting its way on his face. “One of them mentioned, as a matter of factly, that Griffyndors are icky.”

“Why do I have the feeling you’re making this up?”

Malfoy chuckled, then looked around to make sure that no one was neither in the dark hallway, nor down in the common room, that nobody was watching. If it was safe to laugh out loud, Hermione would. She glanced up at Harry, who had the same shocked expression that was plastered on her face just a second ago and she could sense the bit of betrayal that she knew was sneaking into her friend’s head. His eyes widened, even impossibly so, and Hermione turned around just in time to see Malfoy put his knuckle under their housemate’s chin and nudge in upwards to press a soft kiss on her lips. If Fred and George knew, was the only thought that could cross Hermione’s confused and slightly disgusted mind right now, if Fred and George knew, Evelyn would end up lynched in her own Gryffindor Tower. 

Footsteps were heard in the end of the hallway, and this time it wasn’t just her anxiety speaking, because Hermione saw both Malfoy and Evelyn look in the direction, fear obvious in both grey and brown eyes. Evelyn grabbed the boy’s robe-clothed elbow and pulled him inside his own common room.

And they missed it! Harry and Hermione watched them miss their chance inside as she watched the big door close in front of their very eyes. The sound of footsteps got louder and louder and she could see Filch’s shadow playing on the walls and it was her turn to pull Harry’s hand and drag him back towards their dorm.

******

“You must be joking,” Ron declared, licking a drop of jam off his finger, finishing his breakfast. “You probably saw wrong,” his eyes darted to the empty seat at the Gryffindor table, the one by Fred’s side that was usually occupied by Evelyn. 

“Saw wrong?!” Harry insisted, lowering his voice even more. “He kissed her on the mouth!”

Disgust was evident on Ron’s face. “Did you at least get what you went for?”

“No,” Hermione answered sadly. Her book was probably laying somewhere in the Slytherin common room, and it was going to stay there, the only actually witness of Evelyn and Malfoy snogging all night…

“Good morning,” she heard a female voice greet, almost in a sing-a-song voice as Evelyn took her place, her eyes glueing to her plate. She looked in a great mood, a bit tired, something Hermione would tell was the effect of a long night of studying. Oh, did she know better now…

“Good morning,” Ron greeted back and his eyes turned colder. ‘Did you sleep well?’

Hermione kicked him under the table, but the look on his face didn’t falter as he had his brown eyes fixed on Evelyn, who had her attention on the croissant she was about to put in her mouth. She didn’t even twitch when she answered, “Yes, I went to bed a bit late actually,” she glanced at Ron and then at Hermione. “I was in the library.”

Harry hummed quietly at the lie, spoken without a blink of an eye. “In the library,” he repeated and Evelyn nodded, putting the croissant in her mouth and reaching for her cup. “Did you remember to take your socks from under the couch,” he asked in a quiet voice and those were the words that broke the act. Evelyn’s eyes widened and she nearly choked on her tea. Her eyes jumped from Harry to Ron to Hermione, each of who welcomed her with a knowing look. She dropped her food back in the plate and glanced around, knowing she had gotten caught. She leaned towards Harry and whispered.

“Who else did you tell?”

Hermione could see the calculating look on her friend’s face. “No one,” he said finally, and relief was evident on Evelyn’s features when he added, “and it will stay this way.”

The witch sighed, her eyes full of such unspoken thankfulness that Hermione almost felt like they had done something incredibly noble for her. “If I can help you in some way,” she declared, “just say the word.”

Harry turned to Hermione with a smile and she felt like she could hug him right then and there. Her eyes landed on Evelyn, who was watching the exchange of glances between the two friends with suspicion, and she spoke quietly. “Actually, there is this book…”

**Author's Note:**

> Whew! I had a bit of a hard time writing a Draco/OC that isn't told from neither of the two characters' point of view. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
